The U.S. PIRG Education Fund and The Student PIRGs yesterday released a report on “Fixing the Broken Textbook Market”, based on a survey of students on 150 college campuses.
Among the report’s findings:
- Students will risk poor grades rather than purchase assigned textbooks
- The price of textbooks can produce a “ripple effect” on a student’s academic career, including which courses he/she chooses to take
- Students support alternatives to traditional, high-priced textbooks — such as a model that includes free digital versions and low-cost hardcopy versions of texts
New @copirg report shows over half of students forgo classes bc of high textbook price. Must find ways to decrease cost #textbookbroke
— Rep. Jared Polis (@RepJaredPolis) January 27, 2014
Read the full report:
Fixing the Broken Textbook Market: How Students Respond to High Textbook Costs and Demand Alternatives (PDF)
Follow the conversation and read student stories:
via #textbookbroke
The Saylor Foundation relies on free and open textbooks to support many of our courses; you can see our libraries here:
Image: Selection from cover image, “Fixing the Broken Textbook Market”